Chicken Noodle Soup
Robert Urich famously said, “A healthy outside starts with a healthy inside,” emphasizing the importance of maintaining one's internal well-being to reflect a positive external appearance. This timeless adage serves as a reminder that taking care of our physical and mental health is the foundation for overall wellness and vitality.
This comforting Chicken Soup is a beloved family tradition, cherished and perfected by my mom over the years. We would always look forward to savoring this heartwarming dish on lazy Sundays, whether it was for a cozy lunch or a fulfilling dinner.
Traditional home cooking with lovage plant:
The lovage plant often called a maggi plant is an absolute must for making chicken soup as it adds more flavor and fragrance. The fresh lovage plant is available in most garden centers for plantation during spring/summer but it is rather impossible to buy it on its own in the regular grocery store, unless you buy an organic vegetable bouillon cubes which do contain this herb. This comment relates only to Ontario, Canada. Unless, you are going to visit Polish Deli, they might have dry lovage spice imported from Poland (called Lubczyk in Polish).
Chicken broth is rich with essential fatty acids and protein. Both help your body build and repair healthy muscle, bone, skin, and blood cells. Chicken broth is also a rich source of minerals like iron.
A cup of chicken broth is my family remedy when in sickness or in health. Chicken soup’s use as a remedy has been around since at least the twelfth century, when the Jewish philosopher and physician, Moses Maimonides (1135-1204), recommended chicken soup for the weak and the sick.
Hot chicken broth moisturizes the mucous membranes in the nose, which soothes runny nose and cough. On the other hand, the meat contained in it provides the body with a complete protein needed for regeneration during and after illness. For women suffering from a cold during pregnancy, broth is the best solution.
The Presidential Cookbook adopted from the White House Cookbook - copyright, 1896 by Werner Company- has its own chapter dedicated to make dishes just for the sick where the chicken broth is considered number four on the list of importance. It has the simplest 5 ingredients: stewing hen, water, salt, pepper and an egg yolk.
Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe:
by Zosia Culinary Adventures March 03
Stewing hens are usually laying hens that have passed their prime. They are older and their meat can be tougher, but more flavorful. This type of chicken is best used in stews and soups where the meat has time to break down during the long, moist cooking of at least 3 - 4 hours.
Yield: 12 servings
Tools: 5 liter Stockpot and Cheesecloth
Cooking Time: 4-5 hours
Ingredients:
1 whole fresh stewing hen from Greener Pastures Eco Farm (approximately 1.5 kg) cut into four pieces
4 liters filtered water
2 medium onion, peeled and burnt (oignon Brule)
1/2 celery roots, peeled and cut up
1 celery stalk, cut up
3 leaves savoy cabbage
2 parsnips, cut up in pieces
1/2 leek, green and white part cut up
4 medium carrots, peeled only
2 garlic cloves
2 bay leaves
4 peppercorns
1 small bunch parsley with stems for the broth
3 vegetable organic bouillon cubes (no MSG)
1/2 cup freshly chopped lovage herb or 1/3 cup dry lovage (optional) but highly recommended
salt and white pepper to adjust taste
fresh dill and parsley for garnish
500 g Fresh Handmade Semolina Egg Noodles or any dry egg noodles of your liking
Instructions:
Cut the stewing hen into pieces. Clean, cut off excess fat and rump. Rinse, put in a stockpot and pour 4 liters of cold water, add 3 vegetable bouillon cubes. Burn the first onion with the torch and add to the cooking stockpot. Add garlic, bay leaves and peppercorns. Bring the broth to boil.
Remove any scum, cover, and simmer until the meat slips easily from the bones. This will take 3-4 hours.
While soup broth is simmering, wash and cut up all vegetables and way you like. I don’t cut the carrots because I like to cook them in a whole piece.
Strain the soup broth though cheesecloth to another stockpot. Skim off any excess fat of the surface. Remove carefully meat from bones. Cut the meat into bite-size pieces. Place it in a small saucepot with 1/2 cup of broth. Keep it warm.
Add all vegetables and herbs into the strained chicken broth including the second burnt onion which will add nice color and flavor to soup. Add more water since some water evaporated during cooking. Season soup with salt and pepper as per your taste. Bring soup back to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for an hour. After first 30 minutes, remove carrots and set them aside.
Slice or dice carrots. Chop extra parsley and dill for garnish.
Remove soup from the heater and let it rest for 10-15 minutes.
In meantime, boil the homemade semolina egg noodles or store purchased egg noodles.
Now, strain the soup through cheesecloth. Add meat and diced carrots.
Serve hot soup over egg noodles with a sprinkling of parsley and dill.
Enjoy it for your health!
